3D Printing Stainless Steel Parts With Multi-Phase Sintering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Three-dimensional printing with stainless steel particles often results in green body objects with large pores, leading to less dense and mechanically weaker heat-fused objects prone to material fatigue and cracking, which compromises mechanical strength and corrosion resistance.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the iterative application of stainless steel particle layers with a binding agent, followed by controlled sintering in multiple temperature phases, including a pause at a densification temperature, to form a fused three-dimensional object with reduced porosity and enhanced mechanical strength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional sintering methods are used, then the processing time is reduced, but the green body objects have large pores leading to lower density and mechanical strength
Solution Approach 1:
The sintering process is divided into multiple distinct phases: a first sintering phase at a lower temperature to form a green body object, and a second sintering phase at a higher temperature to densify the object. This segmentation allows each phase to serve a specific function, achieving both reasonable processing time and high mechanical strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the temperature parameter during the sintering process by transitioning from a first temperature in the first phase to a second, higher temperature in the second phase. This parameter change enables the object to first form a stable green body structure and then achieve high density and mechanical strength through densification.
2Device complexity
If traditional sintering methods are used, then the processing simplicity is maintained, but the fused objects have large pores leading to lower density
Solution Approach 1:
The sintering process is divided into multiple distinct phases: a first sintering phase at a lower temperature to form a green body object, and a second sintering phase at a higher temperature to densify the object. This segmentation allows each phase to serve a specific function, achieving both reasonable processing time and high mechanical strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the temperature parameter during the sintering process by transitioning from a first temperature in the first phase to a second, higher temperature in the second phase. This parameter change enables the object to first form a stable green body structure and then achieve high density and mechanical strength through densification.
3Duration of action of moving object
If traditional sintering methods are used, then the process duration is shortened, but the objects are prone to material fatigue and cracking
Solution Approach 1:
The sintering process is divided into multiple distinct phases: a first sintering phase at a lower temperature to form a green body object, and a second sintering phase at a higher temperature to densify the object. This segmentation allows each phase to serve a specific function, achieving both reasonable processing time and high mechanical strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the temperature parameter during the sintering process by transitioning from a first temperature in the first phase to a second, higher temperature in the second phase. This parameter change enables the object to first form a stable green body structure and then achieve high density and mechanical strength through densification.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method achieves a fused object with 0.5% to 5% porosity and a density of 7.5 to 7.8 g/cm³, significantly improving mechanical strength and corrosion resistance compared to traditional methods.
Implementation Method 1
iteratively applying a binding agent to individual build material layers to define individually patterned object layers that become adhered to one another to form a layered green body object
Implementation Method 2
sintering the layered green body object in a sintering oven. The sintering can include ramping up a temperature of the sintering oven to a densification temperature of about 1240° C. to about 1320° C.
Implementation Method 3
ramping up a temperature of the sintering oven to a densification temperature of about 1240° C. to about 1320° C., pausing the ramping up of the temperature at the densification temperature for about 30 minutes to about 12 hours
Implementation Method 4
ramping up the temperature of the sintering oven after pausing from the densification temperature to a fusing temperature of about 1350° C. to about 1400° C. to form a fused three-dimensional object
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides systems and methods for the formation of three-dimensional objects. A method for forming a three-dimensional object may comprise alternately and sequentially applying a stream comprising a binding substance to an area of a layer of powder material in a powder bed, and generating at least one perimeter of the three-dimensional object in the area. The stream may be applied in accordance with a model design of the three-dimensional object. The at least one perimeter may generated in accordance with the model design.